HEY P DIDDY?…Ya think you maybe should have treated JLo a little better back in the day?….You wanted to be a playboy and cheat on her?….treat her badly?…She STILL finding ways to pay you back and you didn’t even marry her!!!! KARMA is a bitch man!

So listen, I LOVE MUSIC, I have often said if it weren’t for music I would be dead! Seriously, that’s how much music has made a difference in my life! It has gotten me through some very rough times, and been there for the greatest moments also.

Now here is the question, If you were stuck on a deserted island and could only have one artist, or worse yet, One song to be able to play for the rest of your days, could you narrow it down to one artist? or better yet ONE SONG? Think about this, if you had to have one song!!> what would it be>???

Please comment!!!

For me without question it (I have thought about this very much) would be Luther Vandross’s – Superstar /Until you come back to me.

The reason is simple, for me it takes me through a range of emotions, its beautiful and is about love and his voice is just so damn smooth. I have seen Luther Vandross do this song live and in person, I have seen him several times, and each time was unbelievable! I have been to many shows from hip hop to the Whispers, to Bobby Brown , to Ozzy and Metallica and Guns N Roses in their prime. By far.. Luther’s shows were the best I have ever been to! He sounded as silky smooth in person as he does on the CD’s you play in your home and car!……The Guns N Roses Show with Metallica in Orlando Florida stadium show was a close second to Luther. R&B music , is the music I grew up on, I guess that’s why I choose this as opposed to some great Rock Song !

So What Song Would you bring with you if you were stranded on a deserted island forever?….If not the song, Which artist?

Before I started playing all these instruments, I really had no idea how incredibly hard it is to make the sounds involved in the music. Now that I have more experience, it just stuns me how good some musicians are.

I am convinced that heavy metal (aka hard rock), as a genre, is underrated in terms of it’s technical difficulty. The guitar solos and drum lines in heavy metal are just mind-blowingly difficult. Here is a video of the drum God Meytal playing I Stand Alone by Godsmack. Notice how demanding that piece is in terms of precision, accuracy and timing: She is really working hard!

So this is cool, Lets hope this film actually gets made and that the person they cast for 2Pac is good. The fact that Afeni Shakur (Tupac’s Mother) is one of the executive producers and Singleton is directing should really make for a well told Story.

For those of you who think that Tupac was just some “dumb rapper” or “Gangster” or “Thug” or a “convict” you are sadly mistaken. Not only was Tupac one of the most talented rappers to ever pick up a microphone, he was very intelligent and has a really moving story . From his often rough upbringing, his mother’s political views and affiliations , to his controversial statements and acts of violence at times Tupac remained an immensely talented rapper, Actor,poet and visionary .

In 1970, his mother, Afeni Shakur, was arrested along with 20 other New York Black Panther Party activists on bombing charges. The Black Panther Party ideology advocated armed self-defense against white violence, and many Panthers carried guns and had planned or attempted targeted bombings. Afeni Shakur, serving as her own defense lawyer, still won acquittal in the spring of 1971, a minor miracle. A month after her release, her son was born. She named him Tupac Amaru after an 18th-century Peruvian indigenous activist who had led an uprising against Spanish conquistadors.

Check out 2PACS song “Dear Mama” as a small example of how he felt about his mother and what kind of artist he was. Tupac had the brilliant ability to really make you feel a certain way about real life situations and circumstances that were part of the of his and our world. More so than other rappers Tupac was known for being able to accomplish this through his music and art. He was definitely outspoken and controversial and often contradictory at times.

Pac was MURDERED in LAS VEGAS in a drive by shooting while driving in a BMW with then label executive and owner of death row records Marion “Suge” Knight. The shooting and murder of 2pac has yet to be solved.

For me personally, Tupac was like the John Lennon of Hip Hop Music. His music and his art spoke to me. He had a consistent type of an underdog spirit that he carried with him. His Good side and bad side were so visible through his behavior and through his art, you could easily see the struggle he carried with him. I always managed to have faith that he would conquer any demons that came his way and become as successful as he wished to be. Pac always felt he would die young at predicted that he would be killed early in his life. Tupac died on Friday September the 13th . If you’re not familiar with 2pacs poetry Check out some of his collection from the book “The Rose That Grew from Concrete”.

Pac was shot five times in an incident in a new york recording studio in an attempted robbery gone bad in 1993 and survived. He had many other brushes with the law and even did some jail time for a very controversial case in which he was convicted of sexual assault. He brought this woman to his hotel room after the visiting a club, after falling asleep , his friends and security allegedly assaulted the woman, (The same woman who performed oral sex on 2pac earlier at the night club on the stage or dance floor) . The others involved in the case all got probation, Tupac was sentenced to 1.5 to 4.5 years to be used as an example . All people who were close to pac believed him to be innocent. After being released from prison and signed to death row records, Tupac STAYED in the recording studio and recorded and released “All eyez on me” His most successful selling album while he was alive. Its was during this time that tupac recorded a majority of the muisc for his posthumous albums. 2pac’s work ethic regarding music and recording was unmatched. 2pac released 7 albums after his death.

If you’re interested in 2pacs music you can download his Greatest Hits Album Here

Open Road Films has acquired all U.S. rights to “Tupac,” with John Singleton on board to direct.

The pic will be produced and financed by Morgan Creek Productions and Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films. Producers are James G. Robinson, David Robinson, L.T. Hutton, Randall Emmett, George Furla and John Singleton. Executive producers are Afeni Shakur, Tom Ortenberg and Peter Lawson.

Written by Jeremy Haft & Ed Gonzalez and John Singleton, the biopic chronicles the life and legacy of Tupac Shakur, including his rise to superstardom as a hip-hop artist and actor, as well as his wrongful imprisonment and prolific time at Death Row Records, where he was steeped in the East Coast/West Coast rap war.

The pic is expected to begin shooting this summer with casting under way.

(Part One of this post started with a post about the RRHOF and KISS being inducted this year you can see that earlier posting here http://wp.me/p3tySr-e8)

Let me start by saying first that I LOVE MUSIC. If it weren’t for music and the integral part it has played in my life, I truly believe I would not be alive today. Music has impacted me that much throughout my life and continues to do so on a daily basis.The following is the reason or reasons I really despise the RRHOF and their Process.

Did you know that none of the people responsible for deciding who gets inducted into the RRHOF are actually musicians themselves? IN FACT most of them are Writers or at one time editors for music magazines like Rolling Stone. Now correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t a ” Music Writer” more closely resemble a “Critic” ? Rather than an objective party who should be making decisions based on Rock N Roll history? You mean to tell me that these people remain neutral and don’t let their personal tastes influence their decisions? The RRHOF have been largely criticized for letting politics or “Not enough big names” alter their decision making process, considering that not having big enough names would make it hard to fill the dinner seats at the induction ceremony. Progressive rock , many forms of Black music, 60’s top 40, and new Orleans Funk are often Overlooked as are many bands that are huge in Rock N roll.

Just last year The band RUSH finally was inducted after being eligible for many, many years. The RRHOF will not disclose exactly what their selection process is or how its really done, Or even What exactly is the Criteria for getting the nomination for induction . The only real hard and fast rule is the performer has to have 25 years since their first release. The RRHOF prefers it this way. When talking about inductees to the RRHOF here is heavy lobbying for particular artists because obviously there is money to be made. An increase in record sales for one, and many other forms depending on the artist. You can imagine how there might be some “back door” payola going on here like back in the “pay to play” days of radio and pursuing airplay for your artist.

It seems to me that The Museum and its activities that are responsible for creating more than 950 jobs with an economic impact of more than $100 million annually to the city of Cleveland should really be run more carefully. At the very least the people directly involved in induction process should really have been a big part of music directly or be musicians themselves. I would much rather have someone that has been the president of a record company or A very successful A&R person who was once an artist themselves handling the inductions , rather then some writer who thinks they understand Rock N Roll music and the impact that an artist / musician has made to the millions of people who’ve heard the music.

There should also be a set of basic rules for induction, obviously there can be exceptions depending, but at least if there were a basic criteria and a real process that included the fans voting on ballots could do nothing but help the RRHOF. Right now the process sucks and I will prove this with the list of artists that are still not in the RRHOF but have been eligible for quite sometime.

Tom Morello (A harvard graduate and awesome musician himself) Inducted KISS(Eligible since 1999 and just got in this year) the other night into the RRHOF. He stated that the current criteria for induction as he understands it is as follows. The artist has to have these basic qualifications to even be considered. The Artist should have had IMPACT …..INFLUENCE……and AWESOMENESS, and of course 25 years since their first release.

Now here’s a current list of artists that have not been inducted and possibly not even considered for induction, but all deserve it. Keep in mind how long some of these artists have been eligible for induction and the impact they may have had on Rock N Roll. Also Rock N Roll influenced many other forms of music. These are just some !!!! in no particular order except for the first one , the rest are just ones that really stand out to me!

My number one to not be inducted #1 DEEP PURPLE – ELIGIBLE SINCE 1993 OVER 100 million albums sold worldwide, Nominated in 2012 but did not get the vote for induction. Correct me if I’m wrong, is there a more recognizable guitar riff than “Smoke on the Water”? when I was growing up EVERYONE learned this FIRST on the guitar!!!!

#2JOURNEY – (ELIGIBLE SINCE 2000) In 2009 Don’t stop believin became the highest selling catalog track in itunes History. Eight platinum albums, One DIAMOND selling album . Possibly the best selling greatest hits album in Rock History, and one of the most recognizable voices in Rock N roll. IS there anyone in the world who doesn’t know at least ONE Journey song?..seriously! IMPACT?? INFLUENCE? AWESOMENESS? they practically Invented the POWER BALLAD!!!

#3 Pat Benatar – (eligible since 2004) Four time grammy winner, 40 top ten singles, several multi – platinum albums. She ruled MTV in the 80’S and c’mon now people, HOW MANY WOMEN did she influence ? Would there be a Madonna, Gwen Stephani , Pink or several other women in music today if it weren’t for PB and her complete AWESOMENESS! not to mention her music!

#4 STYX – (Eligible since 1997) 4 consecutive multi platinum albums,16 top 40 singles and people ALL over the world who still do a dance Called the ROBOT, influenced possibly by a song called MR ROBOTO! Not to mention, Lady,come sail away, babe, and many others! The BAND IS ICONIC!!! are you kidding me RRHOF????

#5 Joan Jett / The Runaways –(eligible since 2005) Joan had a number one single with I love Rock N roll and Three certified platinum albums, who can argue with the influence that this band had on Rock N Roll? Lita Ford? Joan Jett , Cherie Currie, all still currently making music today!

#6 IRON MAIDEN – (ELIGIBLE SINCE 2004) 85 million records wordwide despite VERY little radio or TV time this band is STILL SELLING OUT ARENAS all over the world!. IMPACT???? INFLUENCE??? AWESOMENESS??? is there anything more awesome than their Mascot EDDIE????? when i was a kid we waited for their album to drop JUST to see what eddie would look like on the new album cover!!!…..C’MON RRHOF….this is why you guys suck so bad!

And just a few more that don’t need explaining….Most have not even been Considered yet.

For me, There is no other woman in music greater than PiNK!!! I seriously am a HUGE fan of all her music and what she represents as a woman and as a current Rock n roll / pop artist. She’s the real deal Vocally, she can write her ass off and she sings upside down 100 feet in the air better than most standing still center stage. I mean seriously, does it get any better than that?

When she wanted to go away from doing urban type music to a more rock/pop influenced style and wanted to write songs with Linda Perry from 4 Non Blondes, L.A. Reid told her NO, and that she was crazy to do this, She told him where to go and proceeded to make her album the way she wanted. The result was her biggest album to date! Since then she has cracked the top 10 several times and continues to put out great music , with her latest album “The truth about Love” being no exception. Pink has sold over 40 million albums worldwide.

If you have never seen Pink perform in her show you’re really missing something. I’ve included a clip here from the 2010 grammy performance to show you exactly what i mean by her singing UPSIDE DOWN. If you think the performance is bullshit, Check out her fun house tour on DVD live from Australia where she performs this way EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! She also does variations of this performance and more on her new tour that supports the new album. Her music speaks to me and she’s an incredible talent, SHE can really sing her ass off! And if all that isn’t enough, she’s Married to Carey Hart from Hart & Huntington and who made his money and fame through Motocross and today is part owner of the RCH Suzuki racing team amongst several other businesses.

Yes that’s HER, YES shes really singing , AND YES SHE Does all her own stunts!

If you love Pink and are looking for any of her albums be sure and email or message me and I’ll make sure you get a link posted here to dload the album or single you’re looking for.

Scott Storch x Jim Jonsin in the studio 2014If you’re not familiar with who Scott Storch is , well he came up under Dr Dre and at one time was one of Dre’s in house resident producers before going out to make a name for himself. Some of his biggest hits include

He is a sick producer and is back after having some issues with Drugs and addiction he’s back doing what he does best, producing all types of music! Check out this video and some of videos on youtube storchTV.

If you are a reader of my blog, you should know that Music is probably the greatest love in my life besides my Kids and family. Thanks to my mother who recently passed away , I was raised on the greatest music in the world. That music being 70’s classic R&B , and Motown Music. through my adolescence i Discovered everything from classic rock to Classical music that I loved and respected. Classic R&B will always have a special place in my heart especially considering that they just don’t make music like this anymore.

If you have never seen” Live from Daryl’s house”, its on PLD. People just come to his house and kind of JAM with him and the band. This episode in particular is awesome not only because its Smokey Robinson, But Daryl is such a HUGE fan of Smokey’s that you can see it in some of their interactions that he’s almost starstruck, as would anyone. Daryl even had given Smokey a demo of his to be heard when he was 17 years old. Check out the episode on youtube!